Oakland A’s podcast with Charlie O: Davis looks to return to lineup after sitting on Sunday; Sweet revenge in shutout for Bassitt and Golito

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On the A’s podcast with Charlie O:

#1 Oakland A’s Khris Davis has hit only one homer in his last 18 games and has OPS of .801 in the last ten games. Davis is hitting .281, but was benched on Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.

#2 A’s manager Bob Melvin had Nick Martini at designated hitter for Davis. Martini struck out four times, but it gave Davis some time to think on the bench. Davis is expected to be back in the lineup against the Giants on Tuesday night.

#3 How much sweet revenge was it for A’s pitchers Chris Bassitt and Lucas Golito, who combined in a shutout over the Sox? Both Bassitt and Golito formerly pitched for the Sox.

#4 Stephen Piscotty has had his share of injuries. He’s close to returning back after suffering the flu. What will it mean to have his bat back in the lineup?

#5 The A’s open up a series with the Giants tonight at Oracle Park with the A’s starting Brett Anderson (10-7) and the Giants starting their ace Madison Bumgarner (7-7).

Charlie O does the A’s podcasts each Tuesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

That’s Amaury’s News and Commentary podcast: Sox get a taste and get shut out from former Sox pitchers Bassitt and Golito

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On That’s Amaury’s podcast:

#1 The Oakland A’s on Sunday combined for a shutout 2-0 against the Chicago White Sox and got it from pitchers Chris Bassitt and Lucas Giolito, who combined for 20 strikeouts, allowing three hits over 13 innings

#2 The Sox gave up on Giolito and Bassitt while they were struggling to stay on the team. Both pitchers had the date circled on their calendar for an opportunity to get some pitching revenge out on the team who gave up on them.

#3 Bassitt, who pitches every other five days, has a career wins total tying his total in 2015.

#4 On the shutout, A’s manager Bob Melvin said that was the best outing that he’s seen out of Bassitt this season.

#5 The A’s head to San Francisco where you and Manolo will be doing play-by-play coverage for the A’s Spanish. What’s that going to be like getting back to the City and watch these two teams who are hungry for a wild card spot?

Amaury does News and Commentary each Tuesday and is the Oakland Spanish A’s play-by-play voice on KIQI 1010 San Francisco

Flawed NL Wild Card hopefuls make for an intriguing, hard-to-predict stretch run

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By Morris Phillips

The Giants can’t seem to keep up, but the foes they’re chasing can’t seem run away.

As the weeks dwindle in the 2019 season, that reality may be the flawed Giants biggest asset. Within the crowded field of NL Wild Card hopefuls, no team can seem to separate themselves from the pack.

And no team’s stretch run to postseason immortality seems more unlikely than the Giants, but in a race this unpredictable, maybe a fit exists.

Among the top seven teams–all within 3 1/2 games of each other–at least five are fooling themselves. The Giants are thinking they can overcome a losing record at home. The Phillies think they can overcome a losing record over the last two-and-a-half months. And the Nationals are attempting to overcome a 19-31 start to their season.

The Mets were 40-51 on July 12th. The Brewers can’t trust their starting rotation. The Cardinals keep seizing and fumbling momentum. And the Diamondbacks traded Zach Greinke.

Those aren’t strategies to to gain momentum. But for two of those clubs, a playoff berth is in the offing. But which two?

The Mets are the hottest in the pack, having won 15 of 16 prior to Sunday. But they have the most difficult schedule over the season’s final 44 games: nine games against the Braves, and series against the division-leading Dodgers and Indians.

The Brewers’ schedule is loaded with tough matchups: nine games with the Cardinals, seven with the Cubs and two-game sets with the first-place Astros and Twins. Their schedule eases considerably in the season’s final two weeks, but can they last that long? ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian suggested an overhaul of Milwaukee’s rotation and their bullpen might be needed to get this club to surge.

The Nationals are on the verge of getting injured Max Scherzer back into their rotation. But their schedule won’t wait for the occasion, they have seven games with the Braves, five with the Phillies and series against the Mets, Indians, Twins, Cubs and Brewers. They have the best opportunity statistically with their narrow lead on all six competitors, but Juan Soto’s ankle injury could change things in a hurry.

The Cardinals lost eight of 10 to playoff contenders, but rebounded nicely with a sweep of the Pirates over the weekend. They got Matt Carpenter and Marcel Ozuna back from injuries this week as well. But nothing about this club says extended win streak and that may be their biggest issue.

The Diamondbacks won Monday, beating the Rockies 8-6 in Denver. That means they’re likely to lose on Tuesday, bringing them back to .500 for the eighth time since July 21. No team is more closely aligned with mediocrity and their rotation is unquestionably thin without Greinke.

The Phillies have dropped six of eight, and they spent their off-day Monday pondering whether to place Jake Arrieta on the injured list. Whether they do or don’t, injuries have defined their season. Personnel issues that severe aren’t usually the precursor to a playoff worthy run.

And the Giants? Something must be resolved with their starting rotation, currently populated with rookies every three out of five days. Connor Menez, Shaun Anderson or Tyler Beede haven’t won a start since July 12.

NFL Preseason Week #1 Review of San Jose State alums

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By: Ana Kieu

From former all-conference offensive lineman Wes Schweitzer starting at a new position for the Atlanta Falcons to former fullback Shane Smith signing with the New Orleans Saints, it was an eventful first weekend for San Jose State University football alums in the NFL.

Schweitzer, a right guard since joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, was their starting center for the second week in a row. The Falcons lost to the Miami Dolphins 34-27. Schweitzer was one of three Spartans to start a preseason game in the NFL’s preseason week #1.

Isaiah Irving was a starting outside linebacker for the Chicago Bears in their 23-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Irving was not credited with any tackles.

Jeremiah Kolone started at right guard for the Los Angeles Rams against the Oakland Raiders.

MORE SAN JOSE STATE UPDATES: David Fales, QB, Detroit Lions — 5-of-14 passing with an interception for 62 yards and no touchdowns in the Lions’ 31-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Fales was sacked five times.

Andre Chachere, CB, Detroit Lions — Played in the 31-3 loss to the New England Patriots; not credited with any tackles.

Tyler Ervin, RB, Baltimore Ravens — Was an all-purpose back in the Ravens’ 29-0 shutout over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ervin rushed four times for five yards, returned a kickoff for 21 yards, and handled two punts. His 24-yard punt return was one of the longest returns in week #1. The 24-yard return set-up a 57-yard Baltimore touchdown drive.

Josh Oliver, TE — The 2019 Jacksonville Jaguars’ third-round draft choice did not play in week #1 due to injury.

Akeem King, CB, Seattle  Seahawks — Was in on three tackles in Seattle’s 22-14 win over the Denver Broncos.

Dakari Monroe, CB, Kansas City Chiefs — Credited with two tackles, a pass break-up and one special teams tackle in Kansas City’s 38-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Bené Benwikere, CB, Minnesota Vikings — Was in on two tackles and a pass break-up in Minnesota’s 34-25 win over the New Orleans Saints.

Shane Smith, FB — The New Orleans Picayune reports Smith joining the New Orleans Saints as a free agent on August 11. Smith played two games for the New York Giants in 2018 before he was released.

David Quessenberry, OL — Played as a reserve offensive lineman in the Tennessee Titans’ 27-10 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Boogie Roberts, DL — Saw action as a reserve defensive lineman and was in on a tackle in the Los Angeles Rams’ 14-3 loss to the Oakland Raiders.

Keith Smith, FB — Oakland Raiders’ fullback missed the game due to injury.

Jermaine Kelly, CB — Was listed as “not active” by the Houston Texans in their 28-26 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Preview of the Bay Bridge series between the A’s and Giants

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By Jerry Feitelberg

The A’s have an off-day on Monday. They finish the eight-game road trip by visiting the San Francisco Giants to play two starting on Tuesday at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Since the game will be played in a National League Park, the A’s will not be able to use a designated hitter.

Tuesday night’s game will feature a battle between two left-handed pitchers. The A’s will send Brett Anderson to the hill to face the Giants. Anderson is 10-7 and has an ERA of 3.99. Anderson earned a win over the Chicago Cubs last week when he went seven innings and allowed just two runs. The Giants will counter with their ace, Madison Bumgarner. Bumgarner is 7-7, and his ERA is 3.74. Most people felt that Bumgarner would not be with the Giants at this point in the season, has pitched well lately. He has an ERA of 2.78 over his last nine starts. Bumgarner has started seven games against the A’s and own a record of 4-2.

The A’s and Giants finish the short two-game series on Wednesday. It will be a day game, and Homer Bailey will go for Oakland, and he will be opposed by Tyler Beede. This will be Bailey’s sixth start since coming to Oakland from the Kansas City Royals. His record is 9-8, and his ERA is 5.54. Baily had a bad outing against the Cubs last week. He went 4 2/3 innings and was tagged for seven runs. Beede’s record is 3-6, and his ERA is 5.61. Beede, in his last start, went five innings and allowed five runs. His ERA over his previous four outings is 8.38

The A’s will be seeing a lot of familiar faces in the Giants’ lineup. The Giants’ infield will be Brandon Belt at first base, Brandon Crawford at shortstop, Evan Longoria at third, and newcomer Scooter Gennett at second. Pablo Sandoval is day-to-day with inflammation in his right elbow. Donovan Solano is the backup utility man. The Giants have remade their outfield. They acquired Kevin Pillar from the Toronto Blue Jays. Pillar is an excellent defensive centerfielder. Also, Pillar can steal a base, and he has a lot of pop in his bat. He has hit 15 homers and driven in 62. Austin Slater will probably be in right field, and Mike Yastrzemski will be in left. Mike’s grandfather, Carl Yastrzemski, is in the MLB Hall of Fame.

The catching chores will be handled by Buster Posey and Stephen Vogt. Vogt, who was designated for assignment by the A’s in 2017, would love nothing better than beating his old team. It would be a reminder that they made a huge mistake cutting him loose. Vogt was a huge fan favorite when he was with the A’s.

Bruce Bochy, who is in his final year managing the Giants, has a strong bullpen. The Giants did trade away three relievers at the trade deadline, but they still have standouts such as righties Trevor, Gott, Sam Coonrod, Jandal Gustave, and Reyes Moronta. They will use lefties Williams Jerez, Andrew Suarez, Tony Watson, and Will Smith. Smith has 26 saves and represented the Giants at the All-Star Game.

Both teams have a lot to play for. The A’s are in a dogfight with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second Wild Card. The A’s trail Tampa by just 1 and 1/2 games. The A’s are also in second place in the AL West with a record of 67-51. The Giants had a beautiful month of baseball in July. Their record was 17-3, and that propelled them into the race for the second Wild Card in the National League. They have been struggling a bit in August, but they are 59-60 and are 3 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.

The A’s would like to sweep the Giants. They return home to face the two best teams in the American League. They start a four-game set with the rampaging Houston Astros. The Astros have improved their starting rotation and have tormented the A’s this year. Following the Astros series, the A’s meet the New York Yankees for three starting a week from Tuesday. The Yankees, even though they have had so many injuries, sport a potent lineup. Their starting pitching has been suspect, but they have an outstanding bullpen. The A’s pitchers will have their work cut out for them as they try to shut down the Yankees offense. After the Yankee’s series, the A’s finish the homestand with two more games against the Giants. The next 11 games should be terrific baseball. It is what the players live for.

San Francisco Giants podcast with Morris Phillips: Pillar’s gamer proves it takes a good team to come back and win

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sfgate.com photo: San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski (5) is congratulated by Scooter Gennett, right, after scoring against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in San Francisco.

On the Giants podcast with Morrris:

#1 San Francisco Giants Kevin Pillar got the game-winner in the eighth inning with a go-ahead triple leading the Giants to a 9-6 victory.

#2 It was a series win for the Giants. Their first series win since defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park back on July 26-28th.

#3 The Giants had struggled right after the trade deadline after having a great run in July. What was the difference from the month they had in July going into a slight slump in early August?

#4 The Giants got swept by Washington on this current homestand, but won this series against the Phillies, three out of four.

#5 Now the Giants have the day off on Monday and play the Oakland A’s for two games at Oracle. The A’s can be a tough customer talk about the upcoming series.

Morris does the Giants podcasts each Monday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Pillar wins it late to give Giants the series; SF defeats Phillies 9-6

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photo from sfgate.com:  San Francisco Giants’ Kevin Pillar swings for an RBI triple off Philadelphia Phillies’ Nick Pivetta in the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, in San Francisco.

By Jeremy Kahn

SAN FRANCISCO — When the San Francisco Giants they knew that were getting a hitter with power and potential, and this season, Kevin Pillar has done just that.

Pillar went 2-for-4, including the go-ahead triple in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Giants defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 9-6 before a crowd of 36,637 at Oracle Park.

The win by the Giants gave them the series, their first series win since winning two out of three against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

Evan Longoria led off the inning with a single, and then after both Stephen Vogt and Scooter Gennett were retired by Jose Alvarez, Nick Pivetta came on to face Pillar and he put into the right-center field alley that easily scored Longoria from first base.

Brandon Crawford was then intentionally walked, so that Pivetta could face Will Smith, who was making his first ever plate appearance. With Smith at the plate, Crawford stole second and then Smith shocked everyone, as he lashed an opposite field single that scored both Pillar and Crawford; however, Bryce Harper nearly ruined it, as his throw just missed getting Smith at first base.

Joey Rickard then doubled Smith to third base, where he shared a laugh with Ron Wotus and after a Brandon Belt walk, Pivetta finally got out of the inning, as he got Mike Yastrzemski to ground out to end the inning.

This was a wild game that saw everything, as the Giants took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Belt led off the inning with a walk, Yastrzemski then doubled off the left field wall and then Longoria gave the Giants the lead, when he singled up the middle off of Phillies starter Jake Arrieta.

Vogt then singled off of Arrieta that sent Longoria to third base; however, Arrieta regrouped to get Gennett to strike out and then Pillar grounded into a double play that ended the inning.

That 2-0 lead by the Giants was gone by the top of the second inning, as the Phillies erupted for three runs and that was end of the night for Giants starter Conner Menez.

J.T. Realmuto and Scott Kingery each walked, and after Sean Rodriguez struck out, Cesar Hernandez singled to load the bases. Arrieta then struck out for the second out of the inning, but the Phillies got on the board, when Roman Quinn walked and then Harper hit a two-run single that gave the Phillies the lead and that was it for Menez.

Jandel Gustave ended the inning, as he got Rhys Hoskins to fly out to Austin Slater and stop any further damage.

In all, Menez lasted just 1.2 innings, allowing three runs on just two hits, walking three and striking out four.

The Phillies attacked the Giants again in the top of the third inning, as Hernandez hit a two-run single off of the Giants third pitcher of the game and second reliever, Andrew Suarez, who came on to replace Gustave, when Corey Dickerson came on to pinch hit for Rodriguez.

Unfortunately for the Phillies that was the score for just one-half inning, as the Giants came all the way back to tie up the game, as Yastrzemski hit his 12th home run of the season. Longoria then picked up his second hit in as many at-bats, and after a Vogt fly out, Gennett doubled in Longoria to cut the Phillies lead down to one. Pillar then singled in Gennett to tie up the game.

Menez, who went from being on the hook for the loss, ended up getting a no-decision and Arrieta also did not fare in the decision, as he went three innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, walking just one and striking out five.

Gennett gave the Giants once again in the bottom of the sixth inning, as he hit his second home run of the season and first at home. His home run landed in McCovey Cove, the 80th Splash Hit by a Giants batter since the ballpark opened on April 11, 2000.

Dickerson tied up the game in the top of the eighth inning, as his sacrifice fly that took Yastrzemski to the wall easily scored Realmuto from third base. Realmuto led off the inning with a single, then went to third on a Kingery double.

Smith, who came on to replace Tony Watson prior to the Dickerson sacrifice fly then walked Hernandez intentionally and Brad Miller flew out to Yastrzemski to end the inning.

In all, the Giants pitched the final 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, walking eight and striking out six.

Smith, who was unable to save the game for just the third time this season ended up with the victory, as he went the final 1.2 innings, allowing just two walks and a strikeout to improve his record to 4-0 on the season.

As a staff, the Giants walked 11 batters and this was the first time since September 20,2006 against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field where they won a game like that. It was the 11th time since moving to San Francisco in 1958 that the Giants (2019 J.G. Spink Award Jayson Stark gets credit for that stat).

NOTES: Gustave, Trevor Gott and Smith each made their first ever plate appearances during the game, and this was the first time since September 21, 1934 that three pitchers made their first ever appearances at the plate in the same game. Sherman Edwards, Whitey Wistert and Lee Grissom each went to the plate for the first time for the Cincinnati Reds in a 16-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. That is the only other time since 1913 that this occurred in a game, according to STATS, INC.

The 11 walks by the Phillies are a season high, and the first time they turned the trick since April 26, 2009 against the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium in a 13-2 Phillies victory.

Prior to the game, the Giants honored their 1989 National League Championship team, as Will Clark, Don Robinson, Bill Bathe, Chris Speier, Ernie Camacho, Brett Butler, Terry Kennedy, Craig Lefferts, Ernest Riles, Donell Nixon, Atlee Hammaker, Dave Dravecky, Greg Litton, Kelly Downs, Robby Thompson and Mike Krukow were joined on the field by coaches Bill Fahey, Dusty Baker, Norm Sherry and manager Roger Craig.

They also memorialized Jose Uribe, Wendell Kim, Hank Greenwald and General Manager Al Rosen.

Giants President then announced the surprise of the night, The Thrill of the Night, as the Number 22, worn by Will Clark will be retired during the 2020 season.

Clark will join Bill Terry, Mel Ott, Carl Hubbell, Monte Irvin, Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Gaylord Perry and Willie McCovey in that elusive club.

Christy Mathewson and John McGraw are honored by the team with the letters NY, as they never wore numbers for the Giants.

Jackie Robinsons number 42 is retired throughout Major League Baseball and is also on the façade on the Club Level at Oracle Park.

Ford Frick Award Winners Jon Miller, Lon Simmons and Russ Hodges are honored on the Club Level.

UP NEXT: Madison Bumgarner takes on the mound on Tuesday evening, as the Oakland As make their only trip to San Francisco this season. The As return to the Bay Area after splitting six games in Chicago will send Brett Anderson to the mound in the opener.

Bassitt, Giolito duel the highlight of A’s 2-0 shutout of the White Sox

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By Morris Phillips

Lucas Giolito was determined to rebound from a disastrous 2018 season, and realize his enornmous potential. Chris Bassitt wasn’t happy with how the Chicago White Sox lost faith in him, and traded him in 2014.

Those two motivational tales made for a whale of a pitcher’s duel on Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. Giolito and Bassitt combined for 20 strikeouts while allowing just three walks over 13 innings of work, and just one mistake: Matt Olson’s home run off Giolito that stood as the difference in the A’s 2-0 getaway day win.

For Bassitt, Sunday’s seven innings of scoreless work may qualify as the apex of his major league career. After he landed in Oakland in the Jeff Samardzija trade, his career stalled. Bassitt went 1-8 in 2015, 0-2 in 2016 and didn’t pitch at all at the major league level in 2017 after Tommy John surgery in the off-season.

2018 wasn’t much better. Bassitt made just seven starts, compiling a 2-3 record.

But the A’s didn’t give up on the right-hander. Instead they promoted Bassitt in late April, and were finally rewarded. Bassitt has taken his turn in the rotation every fifth day since, compiling career-best numbers in wins, ERA (tied with 2015), innings pitched and strikeouts. Then on Sunday, Bassitt kept ascending, topping Giolito, the All-Star and White Sox staff ace in a tense, low-scoring affair.

“I think I’ve said this a couple times this season, ‘That might be the best game I’ve seen him pitch,’ but that one ranks right up there,” said manager Bob Melvin. “I know he was up for the challenge.”

Bassitt allowed Tim Anderson’s one-out double in the second inning, but quickly settled down, retiring Jose Abreu and James McCann on ground outs to quell the threat. Bassitt wasn’t stretched further, spreading the three singles and two walks he allowed across the other six innings he pitched.

He was facing the White Sox for the fourth time–going 1-1 in three, previous starts–but he hadn’t shown them this level of proficiency. Bassitt made it clear afterwards that it was point of emphasis.

“Every time I pitch against these guys for my career, I’m going to try to prove to them they made a mistake,” Bassitt said.

Giolito walked 90 batters and compiled a 6.18 ERA in 2018, numbers that were among the worst for AL starting pitchers. But some adjustments in the off-season–most importantly, refining and simplifying his delivery–have the Los Angeles native pitching at a level befitting his status as one of MLB’s top five prospects as a 21-year old in 2016. Now 24, Giolito opened the season with nine wins in his first 10 decisions, made the All-Star team, and came in to Sunday’s appearance rolling with four quality starts in his last five appearances.

Giolito had the A’s swinging and missing, striking out every batter in the A’s lineup with the exception of Jurickson Profar. But one pitch was his undoing, a fastball that nabbed too much of the middle of the plate against Olson, who parked it in the right field bleachers for his 23rd home run of the season.

The A’s ended their week in Chicago with a 3-3 record, not disappointing until the week of the streaking Tampa Bay Rays is factored in. The A’s return to the Bay Area for games against the Giants Tuesday and Wednesday trailing the Rays by a 1 1/2 games for the league’s second wild card spot.

The A’s schedule may be their biggest enemy down the stretch run. With 43 full games remaining (and the remainder of a suspended game with Detroit, in which they lead 5-3 after seven innings), the A’s have seven games with the Astros, six with the Yankees, and none against the Rays, Indians, Twins and Red Sox, their competitors for the wild card. Without the ability to affect the fortunes of the teams they’re competing against, they’ll need to hold their own with the division-leading Yankees and Astros while taking full advantage of the Royals, Mariners, Tigers in the 13 combined games they have against those clubs.

On Tuesday, Brett Anderson faces the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner at 6:45pm.

 

 

 

Aces defeat the Sun 89-81 in Las Vegas

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Photo credit: @LVAces

By: Ana Kieu

The Las Vegas had hoped to rebound in Sunday’s home game versus Connecticut Sun at Mandalay Bay Events Center. Did it happen? Yes!

The Aces’ starting lineup featured Kelsey Plum, Kayla McBride, Liz Cambage, Dearica Hamby and Jackie Young.

The Sun got off to a fast start and edged the Aces 24-21 at the end of the first quarter. The Sun’s 7-0 run made it 14-13 Aces. Also, Bria Holmes came off the Sun bench and drained buckets. Holmes returned to Connecticut after missing the entire 2018 season due to pregnancy.

The Aces, however, played catch up in the second quarter. Kayla McBride drained back-to-back buckets to amaze the home crowd. The score was all knotted up 42-42 at the halftime break.

Kelsey Plum was on point with a noteworthy three-point shot in the third quarter. Moreover, Jackie Young wowed the masses by helping the Aces turn defense into offense like in the Aces’ last home game on Friday. The Aces led 68-57 at the end of the third quarter.

The Aces displayed perfect timing during a few moments in the fourth quarter. Tamera Young rebounded a pass from a Sun defender and tipped the ball into the net to put the Aces up 67-54 with 1:04 left in the fourth quarter.
Moreover, Liz Cambage netted a ball to help the Aces to more points before the buzzer sounded. The Aces (16-9) defeated the Sun (16-8) by a final of 89-81.

NOTES: The first 1,500 fans received a free Aces license plate frame.

The Players Tribune published Liz Cambage’s article Sunday morning. Cambage opened up about her depression and anxiety in “DNP-Mental Health” which not only brought attention to her personal battles, but also the belief the WNBA should expand on mental health policies like the NBA.

UP NEXT: The Aces wrap up their homestand versus the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, August 13 at 7:00 p.m.

MLB The Show podcast with Matt Harrington: Reds Aquino and Astros Alvarez belt 3 HRs; Mets hot win their eighth straight game; plus more

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photo from nytimes.com: The Cincinnati Reds Aristides Aquino gets the warm welcome at the plate after belting one of his three home runs at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati in the Reds 21 run win over the visiting Chicago Cubs

On the MLB The Show podcast with Matt:

#1 The Cincinnati Reds Aristides Aquino connected for three home runs all in the first four innings of Saturday’s game in the Reds 10-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. The Reds hit a total of six homers in the game.

#2 The New York Mets continued their winning ways with their eighth straight win and for the second night in a row a come back win over the Washington Nationals 4-3. The Mets have won 15 out of their last 16 wins.

#3 Is the three game homer going to be the norm the Houston Astros as Yordan Alvarez accomplished the feat in a 21 run win over their hosts the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards on Saturday in a 23-2 win. The Orioles who are going the other way have had their share of frustrations including this week when Chris Davis and manager Brandon Hyde who got into a out of control argument in the Orioles dugout during a game.

#4 In the game on Saturday night Astros Carlos Correa hit the longest home run ever hit at Camden Yards which landed in the back of the center left bleachers. The Astros were just teeing off.

#5 Speaking of comebacks the Chicago White Sox just got by the Oakland A’s on Saturday night. The Sox with a 3-0 lead in the top of the ninth all they needed to do was put the A’s away but not so easy the A’s scored twice falling just a run short to tie it up and lost to the Sox 3-2.

Matt does the MLB podcasts each Saturday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com